Screenshots & trailers
How this score was computed
The VGC Score is a weighted blend on a press-comparable 0-100 quality scale. Steam approval rates are first calibrated (95% positive on Steam ≈ 89.5 quality, since Steam approval skews high). Press and tracked creator reviews each count ~2x a player review and share one cap against player evidence (creator buy/skip calls pool into an approval rate, calibrated like Steam approval); all-time sentiment is capped and halved (it's context, not verdict); reviews of the current build carry the most weight when a fresh patch anchors the window; and a 'typical game' prior keeps small samples from pegging the scale. Because press reviews and Metacritic user aggregates describe the launch build, their weight decays as the game ages (3-year half-life after a 1-year grace). That's how a game that launched rough can outgrow its old reception once updates win players over. Reviews under 2h playtime (the refund window), non-Steam activations, and free copies are downweighted.
| Component | Positive | Quality (0-100) | Weight (pseudo-reviews) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Press reviews (Metacritic) | – | 85 | 20 |
| Creator reviews (2 tracked) | – | 94 | 2 |
| All-time Steam reviews | – | – | 0 |
| Metacritic user ratings | – | 85 | 320 |
| Backloggd ratings | – | 87 | 750 |
| Xbox store ratings | – | 80 | 750 |
| Post-patch Steam reviews (trust-weighted) | – | – | 0 |
| Calibration prior (typical game) | – | 72 | 50 |
Scoring window: last 30 days (no significant patch detected) · 0 reviews sampled · 0 total reviews in window · weighted 0 up / 0 down · computed 2h ago · full methodology →
Press & Creators reviews (45)
Individual verdicts from outlets we track: scored reviews first, most trusted outlets first among them. The small badge is each outlet's trust score: how well its scoring history aligns with players.
- 90
“Shovel Knight is really a unique game that appeals, without fear and full of passion, both to new players and to the old retro games lovers.”
read full review ↗ - 87
“A courageous display of old-school honor, Shovel Knight delivers in every aspect, although it becomes a little stiff after a while.”
read full review ↗ - 100
“If you played these classic NES games back in the day and are looking for that feeling again, you just found it. Shovel Knight is one game pretty much any gamer should not miss out on.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“Unless you absolutely must have your games made of polygons or completely hate the indie movement, you need to have Shovel Knight in your video game library.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“A fun action platformer that remains incredibly frustrating by taking a few too many cues from Castlevania's jerkiest moments, Shovel Knight is satisfying and infuriating in equal measure. It's also a damn fine callback to the days of yore in a world where callbacks are a dime a dozen, and rarely this well done.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“There is gold in these old genres, and Shovel Knight is a successful dig.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Shovel Knight lovingly recreates the simple pleasures of 8-bit platformers and improves on them with modern ideas that make every level different and worth playing.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“Shovel Knight is my favorite game of 2014 so far, and a true testament to the power of the old-school. Whether you were weaned on an NES like I was, or don't yet know what you missed in a time before you were born, Shovel Knight is an absolute must-play.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“One of the best games of 2014 so far, and you’d be remiss to let it fly by under your radar. Even more so if you grew up in the NES era and have any sort of fond memories of the great games during that time.”
read full review ↗ - 100
- 76
“A lack of new ideas is compensated by solid design and the simple story is diluted by charming humor. Yacht Club Games managed to create a distinctive game in intriguing world offering old-fashioned exciting adventure for a few hours. [September 2014, p. 80]”
- 90
“It’s a melting pot of nostalgia, and the result is an amazingly well executed and polished title, which builds the mechanics of these other titles into something new.”
read full review ↗
LevelUp
ZTGD
Worth Playing
The Escapist
Eurogamer
PC Gamer
IGN
TotalBiscuit, The Cynical Brit…and 33 more tracked reviews.